Walmart Brings Savings and Convenience to Weston

Expanded store adds full line of groceries and 75 new jobs

WESTON, W. Va., June 23, 2010 – The wait is over for residents in Weston eager to see their Walmart at 110 Berlin Road bring savings on a full line of groceries and a wide assortment of new products and services. The new Walmart is designed to make shopping easier for customers. The store’s expansion brings 75 new jobs to the community. The store will unveil the new expansion to customers at 7:30 a.m., Wednesday, June 30, after a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“The entire community is looking forward to the grand opening of the newly expanded Walmart,” said Gerhard St. John, executive director of the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce. “The expansion has created 75 new jobs, and in addition, local residents will be able to save gas, time and money by shopping here in Weston instead of having to travel to other communities for groceries.”

“We have a loyal customer base and some have been shopping here since our original opening,” said store manager Sherri Workman. “We think they’ll love the new, easy-to-shop layout of the store and appreciate the savings we offer on the products they need.”

The Weston Walmart also features a new layout and updated design. In recent months, Walmart has taken major steps to refresh its stores, merchandise and customer experience. The improvements have all come together in the company’s newest stores with faster service, a friendlier shopping experience and cleaner stores.

“The layout of the stores is easy to navigate, which will save customers time as they shop for everyday necessities at our unbeatable prices,” said Workman. “By grouping the products that our customers most often purchase we are making one-stop shopping even easier.”

The new layout creates an open shopping environment with wider aisles that contain no product displays. Lower shelving throughout the store creates an improved sightline and directional signage on every aisle helps customers find what they are looking for quickly.

The store plans to employ approximately 250 associates, including approximately 75 positions created by the expansion. “Joining Walmart was a great career decision for me, as it has been for so many of my fellow associates,” Workman said. “I am proud to work for this company where there are unlimited opportunities and to bring those opportunities to our community and neighbors.” Fifty-five of the Weston store’s associates have worked for Walmart for more than 10 years, and 15 associates have worked at the Weston store since its original opening in 1991.

The Weston store, like all new Walmart stores, includes energy-efficient technology and environmentally friendly features to reduce energy and water consumption and minimize waste. LED lighting throughout the store operates 70 percent more efficiently than traditional fluorescent lighting. Low-flow toilets and faucets reduce the water used in the bathrooms.

The store is continuing its support of the community by giving $4,000 in grants from the Walmart Foundation to local organizations. The grant recipients include Gilmer County Volunteer Fire Department, Lewis County United Methodist Ministries, Lewis County Junior ROTC and the American Cancer Society. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have committed $2 billion to U.S. hunger relief efforts through 2015. The Fighting Hunger Together campaign will also engage Walmart customers and associates in the fight against hunger. More information can be found at walmart.com/fightinghunger.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), or “Walmart,” serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at more than 8,400 retail units under 55 different banners in 15 countries. With fiscal year 2010 sales of $405 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. A leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity, Walmart ranked first among retailers in Fortune Magazine’s 2009 Most Admired Companies survey. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting www.walmartstores.com and on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com and www.samsclub.com.

EDITOR’S NOTES

• An invitation-only open house for grant recipients and other VIPs is scheduled at 6 p.m., Tuesday, June 29. It will include preview tours and check presentations to representatives of community organizations. Reporters and photographers are welcome.
• Store manager Sherri Workman is available for interviews and to arrange photo opportunities or tours. She can be reached at 304-269-1549.
• Walmart PR and Brand Reputation: 800-331-0085 (not for publication).
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is the legal trade name of the corporation. The name “Walmart,” expressed as one word and without punctuation, is a trademark of the company and is used analogously to describe the company and its stores. Use the trade name when it is necessary to identify the legal entity, such as when reporting financial results, litigation or corporate governance.

• Location: 110 Berlin Road, Weston, W.Va.
• 101,375-square-foot Walmart, gaining an additional 10,000 square feet
• Store opens at 8 a.m.,Wednesday, June 30, following a 7:30 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony
• Store manager: Sherri Workman
• Open 6 a.m. until midnight, seven days a week

• Full line of groceries including a bakery, a deli serving fresh food and meal solutions for moms, meat and dairy products, fresh produce and wine and beer sales
• More than 30 merchandise departments such as apparel and accessories, lawn and garden center, health and beauty aids, and an expanded electronics department
• Convenience services include a pharmacy, digital photo processing center and Walmart Connect Center

• $4,000 in grants from the Walmart Foundation to the following area organizations:
  • American Cancer Society
  • Gilmer County Volunteer Fire Department
  • Lewis County United Methodist Ministries
  • Lewis County Junior ROTC

• Store plans to employ approximately 250 associates, including approximately 75 positions added by the expansion.
• The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in West Virginia is approximately $11.49 per hour*
• Walmart benefits – available to eligible full- and part-time associates – include health insurance with no lifetime maximum. Walmart also offers a 401(k) plan and profit sharing contributions, whether an associate contributes or not, store discount cards, company performance-based bonuses, stock purchase program and life insurance

* Average wage taken April 2010. See www.walmartstores.com for details.

• Store manager Sherri Workman is available for interviews and to arrange photo opportunities or tours. She can be reached at 304-269-1549.
• Walmart PR and Brand Reputation: 800-331-0085 (not for publication).
• Media contact: Cydnee Cochran, Mitchell Communications Group, 479-366-8618. (Statements and quotes on behalf of Walmart should not be obtained from or attributed to agency employees.)
• Walmart information online: www.walmartstores.com; merchandise sales: www.walmart.com
• Walmart Stores, Inc.

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